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James Bond-themed Aston Martin to be star of Dubai charity auction

The DIFF fundraiser aims to raise over $1m for Syrian refugees in Lebanon

By Salma Awwad

Wed 11 Dec 2013 11:33 AM

A customised Aston Martin Vanquish car, designed to celebrate 50 years of James Bond, will be the highlight of a Dubai charity gala auction aiming to raise money to benefit displaced Syrian children and their families in Lebanon.

The one-of-a-kind James Bond themed auto comes with unique features such as a Skyfall silver exterior, 50 Years of 007 logo on the headrests and 20-spoke diamond turned gloss black wheels and will be offered to the highest bidder.

The ‘One Night to Change Lives’ fundraising gala is being organised by the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF), Dubai Cares and Oxfam for the third year running and the auction line-up also includes exclusive tickets to the next Bond world premiere and a selection of iconic memorabilia from Bond films throughout the years.

Mark Goldring, chief executive of Oxfam Great Britain, said the money raised from the charity event would help Syrian refugees get through the winter.

Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring said: “The money raised will make a real difference in bolstering Oxfam’s response to the deepening crisis in Syria. To date, Oxfam has helped more than 220,000 people and we are continuing to expand our response to meet increasing needs but more vital funds are desperately needed.”

Scarlett Johansson, an Oxfam Global Ambassador, has donated a VIP tickets for her new film, Captain America 2, including flights. She said: “I’m thrilled to offer this fantastic prize for the auction. I hope it raises as much money as possible for Oxfam and Dubai Cares to help in their work fighting poverty around the world.”

Actors Rooney Mara, Mark Ruffalo and Naomie Harris, the star of Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom and Skyfall, are expected to be at the auction. Bollywood stars Rahul Bose and Arjun Rampal are also due to be there.

Over the last two years the charity event has raised over $2m dollars for worthy causes and has been supported by a plethora of global stars from the world of cinema including Colin Firth and his wife Livia, Kristin Davis, Rooney Mara, Amr Waked, Freida Pinto, Ronan Keating, Helena Christiansen and Rahul Bose.

The black-tie charity evening hosted alongside the 10th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival will roll out the red carpet at the Armani Hotel in Dubai tonight.